In this undated file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese H-6K bomber patrols the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential gas and oil reserves in the South China Sea. AP FILE PHOTO PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Singapore’s defense minister says countries need to look for practical ways to defuse incidents in the South China Sea. China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands in South China Sea waters crucial for global commerce. The area is also rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves. Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen told reporters Friday on the sidelines of a meeting in Hawaii that incidents may not necessarily involve military ships. He noted navies have established protocols for when they encounter each other at sea. Instead, he says confrontations may develop between fishing vessels or other civilian ships. Ng says Association of Southeast Asian Nation defense ministers and US Defense Secretary Ash Carter talked at their Hawaii meeting about ways to prevent incidents from escalating. RELATED STORIESWarming of ties slows Beijing’s Panatag Shoal plan Taiwan asks Google to blur images of South China Sea island Latest 13 dead, 20 still missing in China after typhoon landslides North Korea building new submarine–US think tank Severe tropical storm ‘Igme’ enters PAR Palace: Duterte rejects comparisons with Hitler Recommended Disclaimer: Read More …
